Blood and Yellow Brick
by Knight Terror
Summary: Kip the Munchkin boy follows in Dorothy's wake down the Yellow Brick Road on route to the Emerald City with his companions The Wobbler, The Stonecutter, and Aurora the Night Princess. Their journey is interrupted when they are tricked and imprisoned by a nameless entity that is determined to make an example of them.


Blood and Yellow Brick

From 1900 through 1920, American author L. Frank Baum wrote fourteen books in his series of "Wizard of Oz" fantasy novels intended for children. While most people are familiar with the first book in the series thanks to the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland, some may be unfamiliar with the casual violence and horrific monsters in the stories that followed, including vegetable people raising human children to eat, a man getting hacked to pieces by an enchanted ax, and a princess who steals heads, so she can wear them like accessories. The following are the cliff notes from Baum's seventh book, _The Patchwork Girl of Oz_, and for something that is supposed to be whimsical and fun for children, one has to wonder what enticed him to write something so morose and random.

_The Patchwork Girl of Oz_

Chapters 6-7

Ojo the munchkin boy, Bungle the glass cat, and Scraps the patchwork girl come across a seemingly abandoned house in the forest one night after following a twinkling blue light that seems to move further away as they approach. They make for the house, and a voice calls out to them as they knock, inquiring who they are. Ojo asks if they can stay the night, and the door swings open to accommodate them. Inside the dark single-room house, the cat informs her companions that there is no one inside, despite having just heard the voice.

There are three beds, comfortably made up. The voice, seemingly from just next to them, instructs them to not make any noise, and go directly to bed. Ojo and the cat comply, but Scraps, literally incapable of sleeping, starts to complain, not wanting to remain silent. After one warning an invisible force throws Scraps out into the road, where she is unable to get back in.

The following morning, after the disembodied voice leaves them breakfast, Ojo thanks the voice and leaves. Outside they find Scraps unhurt and unbothered sitting on the yellow brick road, and she mentions how a large gray wolf came to the door of the cabin three times during the night….

And that's where Baum leaves it, the whole situation never to be addressed again…

Until now…

What follows is inspired by L. Frank Baum's original work, which answers all the questions.

* * *

Kip planted a cautious foot onto the road of yellow brick as if worried it would carry him away like a raging river. He peered down the winding road in either direction and then put his full weight out onto the gold-colored cobblestones.

"I found it!" The munchkin boy called back over his shoulder. From the bushes the towering figure of the Stonecutter emerged, his sledgehammer resting over his shoulder, his chisel clutched firmly in his enormous fist.

"Humph…" He grumbled unenthusiastically, as he stepped around the boy.

"You've found the road?" Came an excited voice, and in the great man's wake followed a most peculiar creature. Stepping out onto the bricks on wide hands with long spidery fingers came an inverted little man with a wide face, large wild eyes, and spikey red hair. His tiny legs pointed skyward like antennae, and he knocked his small heels together in jubilation as he caught up to the boy.

"Well done Kip! The very road that Dorothy and her companions once traveled upon during their journey to the Emerald City! We follow in the footsteps of history!"

Kip smirked. "Says the one who has never left behind a footprint."

His companion snickered as he marched along on his hands, his arms swinging forwards to match the Stonecutter's long strides.

"Had my feet been meant to walk on, they would have been attached to my hands."

Kip rolled his eyes. He was so grateful to have finally located the Road of Yellow Brick that nothing his companions said would sour his mood - not that the Stonecutter ever _really_ spoke. He grunted mostly and occasionally would allow himself a sigh or a hiccup. That was when he was feeling chatty.

Kip had encountered the towering brute at the edge of the desert, his clothes caked in dust and his face covered in soot. The boy discovered that the unfortunate man had been banished from the Gnome King's dominion in the underworld, supposedly for stealing rock candy. Kip had handed the man a cup of water from the well to drink upon meeting him, and since that small act of kindness, the man had served as Kip's personal protector.

His second companion, the Wobbler, was another story altogether. He had found Kip after the smell of the boy's enticing mushroom stew had drawn him outside the inverted forest where tree roots reached high into the sky. The Wobbler had been amazed by the strange new world around him where everyone stood on their feet, and Kip and he had become fast friends.

Upon learning of Dorothy's return to Oz, Kip and the Wobbler had decided to leave their drab munchkin home behind and travel to the Emerald City and apply for positions in the Royal Courts as entertainers. The Wobbler was quite skilled at juggling with his feet, and Kip had the ability to blow bubbles out of his left ear. He wasn't quite sure how he would use that unique ability to entertain, but he figured he stood a better chance at earning applause at court than alone at the edge of the desert.

"I'm sure they'll have a position for you as well Stonecutter." The boy had said when they had started the journey. "After all, the Emerald City is filled with precious gems. I'm sure you'd be very useful in mining and shaping them."

"Humph." The Stonecutter had replied simply, neither excited nor dismayed.

As they continued down the road, Kip popped blueberries into his mouth as he listened to the steady rhythmic stomping of the Stonecutter's heavy footfalls against the bricks, accompanied by the light slapping of the Wobbler's palms. The Stonecutter was in the lead, his eyes fixed on the road before him, while Kip lagged behind, admiring the scenery around him. He had never been this deep into the Munchkin land before, and the bright blue countryside all around him was stunning to behold. Far more beautiful than the dry emptiness of the desert.

As he dawdled behind, he paused as a glint of gold shone against the blue landscape. He paused as he saw a beautiful maiden clad in golden armor step out of the trees across the field of blue grass.

"Hello? Who's that?" Kip spoke aloud. The Stonecutter and the Wobbler stopped and turned to look in the direction Kip was staring. The maiden continued making her way towards them, and as she drew closer Kip could make out her long fiery red hair, and a curved sword she carried by her side. She was nearly as tall as the Stonecutter, and upon her golden breastplate, she bore the mark of Glinda the Good.

"She is quite lovely." The Wobbler exclaimed. "Who do you suppose she is?"

Once she was within shouting distance Kip called out to her.

"Greetings, Miss! I am Kip of the Desert Village of Munchkin land, and these are my companions, the Stonecutter, and the Wobbler! Where are you off to this evening?"

The fair warrior stepped onto the road of yellow brick, her armored boots rapping against the stones, and smiled at the three travelers.

"Greetings Kip of the Desert Village. I am Aurora, the Night Princess, and servant of the Sorceress Glinda. I was in search of the Yellow Brick Road, and with good fortune, I have found it."

Kip offered her a handful of blueberries. "We are on our way to the Emerald City! We wish to meet Dorothy and her friends and ask for a position in her royal court! What has brought you so far from Glinda's castle in the Quadling Country?"

Aurora accepted the berries gratefully. "I was on a mission for Glinda to drive back the foul Hammerheads who had strayed from their mountain and were terrorizing the poor Quadlings. Once I completed my task, I received a message from Glinda instructing me to make for the Munchkin Country, because a dark presence had been detected in the forest along the Yellow Brick Road."

She knelt down and brushed Kip's hair from his eyes. "You haven't encountered any wicked sorcery along this road during your journey, have you?"

Kip blushed furiously. The maiden's eyes were bright red like her hair, but instead of seeming fierce, they warmed him like a bright fire on a cold night.

"No Ma'am. We have heard of no dark presence inhabiting any part of this country."

"Surely since the Wicked Witch of the West was destroyed by Dorothy, no one else would be foolish enough to attempt witchcraft in this land." The Wobbler exclaimed.

The Night Princess straightened. "I certainly hope not, but Glinda has great knowledge few of us will ever acquire, and if she suspects a darkness may be lying in wait, it is my job to investigate."

"Night is falling fast," Kip commented nervously. "Won't you please travel with us to the Emerald City? If there is danger along this road, we'd much rather have you along with us. You may be in need of traveling companions as well if Glinda the Good's information is correct."

Aurora smiled. "I shall accompany you, for it will be dark soon, and you will need a guide to light your way."

The Princess raised both her hands, and small balls of flame erupted from her palms, casting the shadows away.

Kip was stunned. "I didn't realize you were a sorceress!"

She laughed. "Not a sorceress dear boy, but as The Night Princess, I have the ability to hold the darkness at bay."

"I have no magic to speak of, though I can blow bubbles from my left ear."

Kip closed his eyes, put the tip of his thumbs to his lips and blew a string of six bubbles from his ear.

Aurora laughed. "What a unique talent! I'm sure you will be quite welcome upon reaching the Emerald City. In the meantime, let me lead your way. I will navigate us through the forest."

Aurora held out both her hands in front of her, the small fires still dancing between her fingertips, and she walked past the Stonecutter and began leading the small party down the road.

* * *

Once night had fallen and the darkness enveloped them, Kip stuck close between Aurora and the Stonecutter as they made their way through the forest.

"I hadn't anticipated it being so dark." Kip murmured. "Where do you suppose we will be able to make camp for the night? I'm becoming very tired."

"Me as well!" The Wobbler added. "And frightfully hungry. Have you anymore mushrooms in your satchel Kip?"

Kip shook his head. "Only blueberries."

Aurora paused a moment and the Stonecutter halted beside her.

"Do you see that?" The Night Princess asked.

"Humph…" The Stonecutter acknowledged.

The great man raised his sledgehammer before him and the Night Princess drew her sword, and the fire in her hand danced along the curved blade, casting more light upon the road before them.

"What is it?" Kip asked.

"A light up ahead," Aurora answered.

Kip peered around his protectors and saw a faint blue light in the distance winking at them from amongst the trees.

"What could it be?" The Wobbler spoke up.

"It is not a natural light," Aurora responded. "I fear it may be trying to lure us into a trap."

"But if we keep to the road, surely we'll be all right?" Kip pointed out.

"Which is what we shall do," Aurora said. "Keep a close watch on it. If it looks as though it is getting closer, we may have to abandon the path."

The four travelers cautiously continued forward, each keeping an eye on the blue light, holding their breath, waiting to see what would happen as they approached it. After another several minutes of walking, Aurora stopped.

"It doesn't appear to be moving any closer."

"Do you suppose it's another traveler?" The Wobbler asked. "If so, he could be heading down the road in the same direction we are."

There was a moment of contemplative silence. Suddenly the Night Princess raised her sword. "I'm going to put out the fire for a moment. Everyone stay close, I want to see how the blue light reacts."

Kip reached out a hand and placed it on the Princess's armored back. The Stonecutter moved closer to him and the Wobbler shortly followed suit, so their group was in a tight huddle.

"Ready?" Aurora asked.

She sheathed her blade, causing the fire to extinguish, and for the next few moments all Kip felt was a cold, heavy silence.

As their eyes adjusted, they could make out the blue light still in the distance, unblinking and unmoving. After what felt like a full minute Kip whispered. "Nothing is happening. Can you light the path again? I feel like it's watching us."

From Aurora's hand, the flames sprang to life again, and for the first time, the boy noticed something just off the side of the road.

"Was that house there before?"

The travelers glanced around them and noticed the tiny cabin snugly tucked between the trees beside the road.

"Excellent!" The Wobbler exclaimed. "We can spend the night here and be safe from any mysterious lights."

The tiny man quickly pattered over on his hands to the entrance of the cabin.

"Wait!" Aurora called after him, her hands still holding twin fireballs high.

The Wobbler knocked on the door three times with his heels. Kip and the Stonecutter walked up to the door next to him and the boy peered through the dark windows. He was beginning to feel very unsafe out in the open darkness, and shelter of any kind was a welcome relief.

"Hello!" The Wobbler called out loudly. "I'm sorry to intrude, but we are travelers on our way to the Emerald City! May we please spend the night?"

There came no answer from within.

Kip glanced back towards the road where Aurora was still staring off into the distance towards the blue light.

"It's still there?" Kip asked nervously.

"Yes…" The Night Princess replied, her voice tinted with worry.

The Wobbler knocked again. "Hello!"

The Stonecutter tried opening the door but found it securely locked.

"Wait…" Aurora spoke softly. "It's just vanished."

Before Kip could reply, a low, stern voice spoke from behind the door.

"Who is it?"

"I am Kip of the Desert Village! My companions are The Wobbler, The Stonecutter, and The Night Princess! May we please have shelter for the night?"

The voice hesitated.

"You may enter."

The door swung open, and the Stonecutter entered first, his hammer up and ready. The Wobbler followed quickly, but Kip turned to look back at Aurora, who was still on the road.

"Are you coming?" Kip asked.

She looked the house over suspiciously before glancing back in the direction the light had been.

"I don't like the feel of this place. I'd rather continue on."

Kip walked over to her and placed a pleading hand on her arm. "Please, don't go out there alone. Whatever made that light may still be out there, waiting to trap us, and at least here we'll be safe until dawn."

The Night Princess looked at the house again. A warm light had appeared inside, and the Stonecutter stepped back outside to gesture that all was safe within.

She let out a reluctant sigh. "Very well. It's probably best if we are well-rested."

Kip and Aurora followed the Stonecutter inside the cabin, and once they were inside the door swung shut behind them.

It was a single-room cabin with four beds made up in each corner and a table loaded with food in the center, set with four plates.

Kip glanced around, but there was no one within but the four of them.

The Wobbler was already seated at the table, tucking food into his mouth greedily, using his utensils with his feet.

"Kip, come quick! There's mushroom stew here!"

Aurora closed her hands and the balls of flame vanished. "To whom do we owe this hospitality? Who occupies this cabin?" She spoke aloud into the surrounding air.

"Eat." The voice responded, echoing off the walls. "And then sleep. There is no need for further discussion."

Aurora looked sideways at the Stonecutter, who had yet to set down his hammer.

"That's very generous of you, but in the name of Glinda the Good, I ask you to identify yourself. Magic of any kind outside the boundaries of the Emerald City is carefully sanctioned, and I must know your intentions."

For several seconds the only sound was the Wobbler devouring bowl after bowl of stew. Kip held his breath as the group waited for a reply.

Aurora placed a hand on the doorknob. "Tell me at least, are we free to leave at any time?"

"No further remarks or you shall be cast out." The voice replied, sounding more aggravated than it had before.

"Very well," Aurora said quietly. She motioned for Kip and the Stonecutter to lean in closer to her.

"Whatever entity resides here is not charitable by choice. I feel we may be in danger here. We should leave."

Kip's stomach sank at the prospect of leaving behind the food and the cozy bed and returning to the darkness of the road, but he did suddenly feel uneasy trapped within these four walls, and as a servant of Glinda, he trusted the judgment of the Night Princess.

Aurora placed her hand on the knob again and was in the process of turning it when the Wobbler spoke again.

"Kip! There is bread pudding here as well!" He lifted up his long arm and reached across the table to drag the bowl towards him, and in the process upset several glasses and a bowl, which toppled to the ground with a crash.

"Oh! Excuse me!" The Wobbler remarked. "I apologize for my carelessness."

The door suddenly swung open and struck Aurora directly in the side of the face, and before Kip knew what was happening, the Wobbler was hurled directly outside into the night like he had been fired out of a cannon.

The door slammed shut before the Wobbler struck the ground, and from outside they heard him sputter.

"I say! That was rude!"

Kip immediately wrenched at the knob, but the door wouldn't budge.

"I can't open it!"

Aurora and the Stonecutter both tried as well, but the door refused to yield.

"I say, Kip! Let me back in! The door is stuck."

"We're trying!" Kip called back. He quickly ran to the nearest window and attempted to pull it open, but to no avail.

The Stonecutter raised his hammer and was about to strike the door when there came a harsh, snarling sound from the other side of the cabin behind the wall. Kip's blood ran cold as all three of them turned in the direction of the sound.

"What is that?" asked the Wobbler from the other side of the door.

"There's something coming…" Kip stammered as the snarling sound began to circle the cabin.

"Listen to me!" Aurora called out. "Make for the road quick, back the way we came!"

"It's pitch dark out here, I don't know where the road is!" The terrified Wobbler called back.

"Break the door down!" Kip cried out in alarm.

The Stonecutter swung his hammer down hard and struck the door, but even though there was a tremendous cracking sound, the door didn't break.

Aurora spun around and spoke upwards into the air around them. "In the name of Glinda, I command you to lift this spell and allow us to leave safely!"

"_Oh no!"_ The Wobbler suddenly screamed, and there came a sudden loud snarl and a scuffle outside the door. Kip covered his mouth in horror as the sound of his friend's screams disappeared somewhere into the distance behind the cabin.

The Stonecutter's hammer came down once again against the door, but as soon as the heavy tool cracked the wood of the door, the damage instantly repaired itself.

"_Enough!" _Aurora cried out and drew her sword, flame cascading down the blade. "Whatever enchantment you've devised, whatever intentions you have, you will release us _now_, or I will burn this cabin to the ground!"

Kip slid down the wall into a sitting position and held his knees as the ferocity of the Night Princess's words stung his ears in the small space.

For several seconds there was no response until suddenly there came a soft laugh. The flames dancing upon the metal immediately vanished, as though snuffed out abruptly by a strong wind.

The voice spoke again, sounding amused and indifferent.

"Set down your sword, Servant of Glinda. Sleep now, and rest well, for the night will be very long."

Kip immediately began shaking at the ominous words. "What have you done to my friend?"

"Remain silent. Sleep now." The voice repeated.

There was a sharp rushing of air, and where before the room had contained four beds and a table, now only three beds remained.

Aurora carefully set her blade down on one of the beds. She glanced at Kip and the Stonecutter before speaking softly, in a much more calm and respectful tone.

"Very well, we shall sleep."

She motioned for Kip to come over to her. From her satchel she pulled a scroll and a writing quill and jotted down a quick note to the boy.

"First, we were threatened to be cast out, but now we may not leave. It's a riddle."

Kip shuddered, took the quill had started to write a response when the scroll was snatched away by an unseen hand and vanished in a flash of smoke and flame.

"Do you think these walls are blind?" The voice suddenly came again.

Aurora stood. "You trap us like mice and expect us to trust your word that you will free us come morning? You've already captured our companion! What assurance do we have you will not harm us in our sleep?"

"None." The voice replied simply.

The Stonecutter snarled and twisted his grip on the hammer's handle.

"What is your name?" Kip asked suddenly.

There came no answer.

"You must have one." Kip insisted, "What may we call you?"

Aurora gave Kip a quick sideways look, clearly concerned for his well-being.

"How about Basil? May we call you Basil?" Kip asked hopefully.

Suddenly one of the beds vanished, leaving the three companions alone with only two.

"Why did you do that?" Kip's voice shook.

"One of you will not need to sleep, because they will not be here much longer."

The Stonecutter stepped protectively in front of the Munchkin boy and Aurora's hands erupted into flame.

"We will not be divided! You will release us all safely or I shall burn your fortress down with you inside it!"

There came a rushing of air again, and the fire in Aurora's hands was nearly extinguished, but she threw her head back and her bright red hair exploded into a cascade of blazing strands, with sparks flying in every direction as she tossed her head.

"You can't extinguish the fire at its source!" Aurora cried out in a commanding, fearless voice. She placed her hand against the wall of the cabin, and the wood immediately began to burn.

Suddenly from the far end of the cabin came a great shudder, and Kip heard something impact the wall from the outside.

There came a tremendous, deep snarling that circled the cabin and placed itself out by the front door.

"Extinguish the flames," Basil spoke, with the faintest hint of panic in his voice. "There is no escape for you otherwise."

A barking roar came from outside the door, loud enough to make Kip's ears ring.

"Release us!" Aurora commanded again, fire dancing up and down the walls. "Call off your beast!"

"Extinguish the flames," Basil repeated.

Kip started coughing heavily as smoke began to fill the room. The Stonecutter raised his hammer, and with a bellow, he smashed out one of the glass windows. Immediately, an enormous mouth lined with pearl-white fangs inserted itself through the opening and began snapping at the man.

The walls cracked as the flames rose higher, and the beast retracted its fangs from the window and was heard circling the cabin to where the wall was burning.

"It is coming." Basil hissed menacingly.

Aurora let out a furious, defeated cry, and instantly the flames all along the wall and upon herself vanished. There was a faint rush of air from an unseen source, and in the blink of an eye, both the wall and window were completely repaired.

"What do you want from us?" Aurora asked solemnly, her head held high, still speaking to the empty air "What will it cost to buy our freedom?"

Basil remained silent. From outside, the creature could be heard trotting around the perimeter of the cabin.

"This is more than a simple enchantment." The Night Princess spoke aloud. "This is ancient sorcery, long overlooked by all who reside in Oz. You are trapped within these four walls, Basil. Why do you invite us in to trap us as well? What do you gain?"

The snarling suddenly halted, as if the creature outside had vanished into the night air.

"Basil!" Aurora called out. "Spare the boy at least! Let him go unharmed, and us two will remain! We will not resist."

Kip held his breath in anticipation.

"You two shall remain, but none will be spared."

Suddenly the door flew open and Kip felt himself lifted from the ground by a great force and thrown outside into the darkness. He struck the dirt hard and rolled, curling up into the fetal position as his body wailed in pain.

There came a bellow from the direction of the cabin and Kip glanced up to see the Stonecutter grappling with the door, preventing it from shutting again using the handle of his hammer.

Kip began to crawl back towards the direction of his friends when he felt a hot, foul stench of breath on the back of his neck. He spun around onto his back. By the light within the cabin, he could make out an enormous, two-headed beast with fierce, hungry eyes and glinting teeth the size of his thumbs.

The boy screamed in terror as he began to crawl backward. One of the giant wolf's mighty heads likely would have snapped him up right then and there, but the second head snarled and bit at the first head, clearly wanting the boy for itself.

Kip tried to regain his feet but stumbled again as another blast of putrid air emerged from the twin heads and struck his face. The beast lunged forward at him, but one of the heads was suddenly met with a mighty blow from the Stonecutter's hammer, and the other head howled as Aurora stabbed her fiery blade up through the roof of its mouth.

"_RUN!"_ Aurora screamed at him.

Kip scrambled away, nearly being trampled under the Stonecutter's heavy feet as he spun the hammer nimbly in his hands and swung it upwards to connect with the first wolf's face again.

Aurora withdrew her sword and stabbed at the second head again, aiming for the eyes, but the beast caught the sword within its teeth, and there was a sharp whine of metal as the blade scraped against the fangs.

Kip was so disoriented he couldn't find the yellow brick road. It was pitch black around them, and he didn't like the idea of leaving his friends behind. Instead of running, he retreated back inside the cabin.

Outside, the two-headed brute backed up a few steps, putting distance between itself and its attackers. The Stonecutter raised his mighty hammer in one hand and the sharp chisel in the other like a spike. Aurora's blade, hands, and hair shone with fire as she carefully raised her sword and prepared for another attack.

The beast trotted back and forth in a half-circle, trying to find an opening to attack. Kip suddenly appeared back at the doorway, one of the pillows from off the beds held high.

"_Aurora!"_ he called out and threw it directly towards the monster. The Night Princess shot a blast of fire from her hand and the pillow was immediately engulfed in flame. It landed right at the wolf's feet and the leaves underfoot began to blaze and crawl up the fur of the great beast's legs.

With the creature temporarily distracted, Aurora called out to the others.

"We need to get out of here! _Follow me!"_

Before Kip could set foot outside the door, an invisible force grabbed him and hurled him back into the cabin, slamming him into the wall. The boy began gasping and flailing, the sensation of a strong hand pressed into his windpipe preventing him from breathing.

Aurora raced back into the cabin at once and tried lifting Kip up, trying to pull him away from the wall, but the boy could not be moved.

"_Release him!"_ She cried out in fury.

From outside the cabin there suddenly came a great crunching sound of something biting down on something else, and the Stonecutter began screaming. Aurora's head spun around as she glanced back outside.

She took one-half step towards the door, and suddenly she was hurled forwards out into the dirt as Kip had been, and the door slammed behind her.

Kip was released and collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air. Aurora's sword clattered to the ground in front of him where she had dropped it.

From outside the windows there came a great burst of flame, the sound of a tree crashing to the ground, and suddenly a cry of pain from the Night Princess. Kip staggered over to the window just in time to see the tip of the wolf's tail vanish around the side of the cabin and disappear into the darkness. There was no sign of his friends outside. Only a fallen tree and a patch of leaves engulfed in flame, casting dark frenzied shadows across the yellow road beside it.

Kip fell to his knees and began to sob.

* * *

It was the cold empty silence that woke the boy from his doze upon the floor. The stillness in the room around him was so intense that for a moment all he could hear was his own frantic heartbeat pounding in his ears.

He glanced around the room to find himself alone, except for Aurora's fallen sword and a single bed in the corner.

"Return to sleep." Basil's soft voice instructed. "The night is long."

"Why Basil?" Kip murmured, too exhausted to cry out in anger. "Why did you welcome us here just to trap us and cast us out? Feed us to that beast? We had done no harm to you, yet you chose to destroy us."

His only response was a long silence. Long enough for Kip to think he wasn't going to receive an answer at all.

"Do you truly not understand, child?"

The boy looked up at the empty room around him and shook his head back and forth.

"What separates Oz from the world around it?"

The boy honestly didn't know. He knew precious little of the outside world.

"It's magic?" He tried.

"It's virtue." Basil replied. "Oz is a haven for the virtuous. The desert keeps the undeserving out, but as for its current residents, it is for me to decide who is pure at heart, and worthy of Oz's magnificence."

"What do you mean?" Kip stood up tall, suddenly feeling very offended and defiant. "My friends and I meant no harm to anyone! We were honorable and kind!"

"Were you?" The voice countered inquisitively. "You defied my instructions upon entering, ignoring my word, challenging it. Each of you seeped in the poison of your own distinctive vices."

Kip made to respond defensively, but his confidence betrayed him, and he remained silent.

"The inverted man showcased an excess of greed and carelessness. The towering man reeked of bitterness and self-loathing. The princess flaunted prideful authority and a willingness to unleash destructive potential."

"The Wobbler was just hungry!" Kip cried out desperately. "And the Stonecutter was dismayed at being cast out of the Gnome kingdom! Aurora was suspicious because it was her mission to be! She was a servant of Glinda!"

When Basil spoke again, his words were hollow.

"None of which failed to attract the beast."

Kip glanced out the windows nervously.

"What _was_ that creature?"

"Depravity. Manifested." Basil answered simply. "Our vices stalk us all, desperate to consume us."

"No! _No!_" Kip shouted. "You can't! What gives you the right to judge us? To decide who is worthy?"

"Someone must." Came the response.

Kip crossed the room and picked up Aurora's fallen sword with both hands. It shook in his palms as he raised it vertically in front of him.

"So, by your logic, to be virtuous is to be silent? Passive? Complacent?"

"To be virtuous is to be wise enough to know when to remain humble."

Kip lowered the sword, so the blade tip rested upon the ground.

"What was the wickedness inside me that made you cast me out?"

"Following false heroes whose corruption would lead you astray."

Kip smirked. "Your logic is flawed."

There was a dull silence as Basil seemed to digest those words.

"Don't you see?" Kip laughed, realizing he suddenly had the upper hand. "You called them "false heroes", but when they charged outside to save me, that wasn't wicked, it was selfless. It was virtuous and heroic and proved themselves worthy of passing your test. And you let them be dragged off into the darkness."

Kip blew a bubble out of his left ear.

"We are all flawed in our own way. Including you. You ignored the valor and wrongfully condemned those worthy of Oz's magnificence. Therefore, you have no place in Oz either."

The bubble popped.

The door to the cabin was suddenly, violently flung open, and for the second time, Kip found himself hurled outside into the dirt. He landed hard upon his back, and Aurora's sword fell upon the smoking embers of the fallen tree. The door slammed shut, but Kip caught his breath and scrambled back up as fast as his aching body would let him. As he heard the pounding footfalls of the approaching beast, he crawled over to the orphaned blade.

"If I'm never seeing the sunrise again. neither will you. I know what you fear."

Kip grabbed the handle of the sword, and the metal erupted into flame cast by the flickering ashes beneath it. Kip held the sword up in front of him, just as he had done before, and charged towards the small house. Just before the twin-headed wolf leaped from the shadows, the boy plunged the fiery blade underneath the cabin door, until only the smallest section of handle remained poking out.

Almost immediately the fire began to consume the dry wood both outside and within. The wolf pounced and pinned Kip to the ground but did not scoop him up in his fangs.

"Remove the blade and you shall go free." Basil's muffled, panicked voice demanded from inside.

Kip barked out a laugh as best he could as the wolf's massive front paw pressed down upon his chest.

"Release my friends and I shall."

"I cannot. They are gone."

"Then neither can I."

The wolf clamped down his jaws upon the boy and disappeared with him into the darkness. From within the cabin came a howling of a mighty wind as the disembodied voice tried to eliminate the flames, which only served to ignite them further.

Before long the cabin was engulfed, the blazing fingers of flame climbed higher than the treetops as the roof caved in and the walls collapsed. As the wreckage of the wooden house was reduced to cinder, a howl of torment and pain came from the beast deep within the dark woods. After the fire burned itself to ash, the wolf howled no longer.

* * *

The following morning two Munchkin farmers were meandering down the Yellow Brick Road with blue sacks of grain over their shoulders to sell at the market, they both paused in their tracks when they caught a whiff of smoke upon the breeze.

Setting down their satchels, they left the road and discovered the curved sword lying abandoned in the middle of a charred wreck of blackened lumber.

"I've traveled this road many a time, and I don't recall a house ever being here." One said.

"Take a look at this!" The second exclaimed and picked up the sword. "This is a fine weapon! The weapon of a great warrior!"

"Better leave it here." The first Munchkin suggested. "They may be back for it one day."

The second Munchkin nodded in agreement and plunged the sword blade down into the dirt.

"Aye." He replied solemnly. "That they might."

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